Job Hunter Finding It Difficult To Generate Leads
DEAR HARRIETTE: I quit my job just four months after starting because it wasn't what I expected, and now I'm struggling more than I ever imagined to find a new one. I honestly thought I had built enough connections in my industry to help me land a position quickly, but everyone has gone silent. I'm updating my resume constantly, applying to jobs every day and reaching out to old contacts, but nothing is moving. I'm starting to worry that the short stint on my resume is hurting me and that I made a huge mistake by leaving before securing something else. I feel like people in my network are judging me for quitting so soon, even if they don't say it outright. My savings are dwindling, and the longer I go without work, the more anxious and embarrassed I feel. I'm trying to stay positive and keep my routine, but I'm losing confidence and questioning my decisions. How do I bounce back from this and get my job search back on track? What can I do to rebuild my professional momentum and stop feeling like I sabotaged my own career? -- Bad Move
DEAR BAD MOVE: As you are experiencing, for a lot of people, leaving a job quickly earns them a reputation for being unreliable. That, in turn, can make it more difficult for people in your network to want to vouch for you. Their reputation is at stake as well as yours when they make recommendations.
That said, since dollars are dwindling, cast your net more broadly. Look in fields outside of where you've been focusing. Find temporary holiday work -- anything to tide you over as you refresh your search. Go to industry mixers if you learn of any, and network with new people. Take that last job off of your resume so that it is no longer a talking point when you are describing your career path.
DEAR HARRIETTE: When the government shutdown happened and all those people lost their SNAP benefits, I felt so bad for them. Millions of people who get support from the government just to have money to eat were told they would not be getting any more help. As I understand it, the benefits were restored in the nick of time. My issue is how people in my peer group reacted to this. Quite a few "friends" laughed and said things like, "Those freeloaders need to get a job," or "I don't want to be paying for somebody else's food," or "Those are my hard-earned tax dollars." Some people went so far as to say that people who use SNAP should be deported. It was nuts. After a bit, I stopped talking. I didn't want to believe that my friends would not care about people who can't afford to feed themselves in our country. What do you say when people make comments like that? -- Where Is Compassion?
DEAR WHERE IS COMPASSION?: Choose your battles. You can decide to take on your friends and challenge them on their ideas about caring for their fellow human. You can speak to the individuals who made the most egregious comments and probe to find out why they were so venomous. Or you can decide not to fight with them but to know where people stand and, over time, align yourself more with people who share your values.
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(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions toaskharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
Copyright 2025, Harriette Cole
COPYRIGHT 2025 Andrews McMeel Syndication. This feature may not be reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without the written permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
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